Cellmate accused in teen suicide

By DARREL MAGER

A former prison inmate has been accused of helping the depressed teenage cellmate he was meant to watch over to commit suicide.

Papakura 18-year-old Eruera Maaka was found unconscious in Mt Eden Prison at 6 am on February 1, 1998, after his cellmate, Buddy Grey, alerted guards.

Maaka, who was being held on remand while waiting to be sentenced for a South Auckland superette robbery, was pronounced dead at the prison by ambulance staff.

His face was beaten and swollen, apparently after he was singled out for abuse by other inmates because he "narked" on his mates - who had Black Power connections - by pleading guilty.

Prison staff, following Department of Corrections policy regarding potentially suicidal inmates, "buddied" him up with the older inmate, who was meant to act as a calming influence.

But police have now charged Grey - who is currently on bail - with aiding and abetting Maaka's suicide.

He will appear in the Auckland District Court for a depositions hearing in May.

A Department of Corrections spokeswoman, Angela Bensemann, said yesterday that prison officials had helped police with their investigation.

But she said the department would not be making any comment on the case until it had been dealt with by the courts and by the coroner.

An inquest into Maaka's death was adjourned by Auckland coroner Mate Frankovich late last year to enable police to investigate the allegations.

Lawyer David Hagar, secretary of the Howard League for Penal Reform, which is representing Maaka's family at the inquest, said: "The choice of this cellmate was not inspired and may well be a case of negligence or lack of reasonable care on the prison's behalf."

Just days before his death, Maaka had begged a judge not to remand him in prison.

He said he believed he would not live to see his next court appearance.

Maaka had attempted to hang himself using his clothes during an earlier stay in Mt Eden.

Judge Mary-Beth Sharp decided to remand him to Mt Eden Prison.

But she ordered a psychiatric report and said Maaka had to be housed in a special wing for at-risk prisoners.

Prison staff did their own assessment, however.

This showed that the teenager was not at risk, and he was sent to the main cell block, where he died.

He was the third young inmate to die in Mt Eden Prison within a five-month period.

Maaka's family could not be reached for comment.